Activity 11.

Simple Pendulum
Date:___________________________

Name of group members:___________________________

A system made of a string fixed at one end and a mass on the other is called a simple
pendulum. Simple pendulum, the name denotes that it oscillates at simple harmonic motion at small
angle displacement, where sin . This is shown in Figure 11.A.
For the system in Figure 11.A, the force according to Newtons
law is given by

l
x

m
Solving for the function x, we get

W
W sin

pendulum
Figure 11.A A simple

; where

Then the period of oscillation for this system is given by

Thus, the period is dependent only the length of the string regardless of the suspended mass m.
In this experiment, your task is to describe the motion of a simple pendulum and to show the
dependence of the period of oscillations in mass, length of string, and the angle of release.

Materials: String, bob, stop watch/ timer, iron stand with rod, meterstick
Procedure
A. Period and Mass of bob
1. Set up the simple pendulum.
2. Set the length of the string to l = 1 m.
3. Weigh the first bob and attached to free of the string.
4. Pull the mass to the side at an angle of 10 and release.
5. Record the time for 50 complete vibrations in Table 11.1.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for the other two bobs.

Simple Pendulum

B. Period and Angle of release

1. Set up the simple pendulum.
2. Set the length of the string to l = 1 m.
3. Use the first bob for this set up.
4. Pull the bob to the side at angle of 20 and release.
5. Record the time for 50 complete vibrations in Table 11.2
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for angles 30 and 40.
C. Period and length of the string
1. Set up the simple pendulum.
2. Use the first bob for this set up.
3. Set also the angle to 10.
4. First, make use of the length of the string of 30 cm and attached the bob at its free end.
5. Move the bob to the side and release.
6. Record the time for 50 complete vibrations in Table 11.3.
7. Now, use a 60 cm length string, and repeat steps 4 through 5.
8. Do the same using a 90 cm length string.

Data:
Table 11.1 Period and mass of bob
Mass of bob

Length of
string

Angle of
release

Time for 50
vibrations

Period
Experimental Computed

% difference

Time for 50
vibrations

Period
Experimental Computed

% difference

Table 11.2 Period and angle of release

Angle of
release

Length of
string

Mass of bob

Simple Pendulum

Table 11.3 Period and length of string

Length of
string

Mass of bob

Angle of
release

Time for 50
vibrations

Period
Experimental Computed

% difference

Questions.
1. What is the relation of the period of oscillation to the mass of the bob?

2. What is the relation of the period of oscillation to the angle of release?

3. What is the relation of the period of oscillation to the length of the string?

4. What is the length of the string if the period of the simple pendulum system is 2 second?

Conclusion: